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Imagine smart packaging that tells the consumer when it's time to reapply another glob of sunscreen. Well, it's already on the horizon.

"It's all possible, the technology is available," Daniel Abramowicz, executive vice president, technology and regulatory affairs; president of Crown Packaging Technology told Global Cosmetics Industry at the ADF & PCD trade show in New York.

Packaging Smart

Crown Packaging collaborated with The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and students from Brunel University London to create a smart sunscreen bottle that uses printed sensing within the packaging. A sensor in the packaging detects the individual's user’s skin type by analyzing the amount of light reflected from the skin.

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"Unfortunately, we are all very different in terms of our skin type and sensitivity to UV radiation. [Also], the amount of UV radiation that we can be exposed to at any time can vary," Abramowicz told the audience of packaging professionals.

For this reason, a smart sensor on the sunscreen packaging detects the strength of the UV radiation, guiding the correct SPF factor. The smart packaging also calculates the maximum safe amount of time in the sun and it will tell the user when it's time to reapply. For instance, the timer on the bottle shows the amount of time left and alerts when the time is up.

According to Abramowicz, this is the future for smart packaging technology in the sunscreen space which is currently in development.

Spray Innovation

Aside from smart packaging, Abramowicz also spoke about innovation in aerosol dispensing. The PowerUp product is a new concept from Crown that uses compressed air instead of hydrocarbon propellants. To maintain delivery performance, the container is re-pressurized during use and the lower-pressure container enables lightweighting.